Genius Club

(This novel is translated and hosted on Bcatranslation)

“Well, like you said, there’s no real risk, right?”

Gao Yang spread his hands.

“Elon Musk and Rhine University are sending hundreds of people to Antarctica. Even if everyone spits, we’d drown Galileo. Does it really matter whether you or I go? Or is your spit somehow thicker than mine?”

“Your analogy is both novel and disgusting,” Lin Xian frowned.

“Hey, I just want to contribute!”

Gao Yang sighed deeply.

“As the Security Captain of Rhine University, security is my job. Many of my subordinates are part of the Antarctica expedition. I should be there with them. I can’t… I can’t keep hiding behind others forever.”

“I felt guilty when you went to space to capture spacetime particles and I couldn’t do anything. It’s been the same with many things since. As your best friend, I’ve been helpless.”

“So this time, let me go in your place. Five hundred years have passed since our time, and there’s barely a century left until 2624. I want to do something for you and Chu An Qing, even if it’s just a small thing.”

…

Under the moonlight, the night breeze brushed against the jade-white statues, producing a soft rustling sound.

Lin Xian looked at Gao Yang.

For a long while, he said nothing.

Finally, he exhaled and nodded.

“All right.”

He patted Gao Yang on the shoulder and smiled.

“It’s not as complicated as you think. It’s basically just a trip to Antarctica.”

“With so many people—hundreds—hunting down Galileo, there’s almost no risk.”

“Elon Musk has already anticipated that Galileo might set traps or have self-destruct devices, so there’s a professional bomb disposal team, reconnaissance units, and loads of advanced equipment. Even if there are explosives, today’s tech can safely handle them.”

Hearing Lin Xian agree, Gao Yang finally let out a breath of relief. Sitting on the edge of a flowerbed, he burst into laughter.

“Ha ha ha! Don’t think I’m being weird. Just think of it as me being drunk. Do you remember the time when you first suspected that your dreams were real and we started investigating together?”

“Of course I remember.”

Lin Xian also sat on the flowerbed beside Gao Yang.

“You kept coming up with terrible ideas—first about subconsciousness, then dragging me to buy lottery tickets and bet on games, and finally taking me to see a psychologist…”

“In hindsight, it was a bit of a desperate gamble. But honestly, even though your methods were chaotic, they eventually helped me uncover the truth.”

Thinking back to those events, now centuries ago, Gao Yang couldn’t help but sigh.

“Only now do I truly understand what you told me back then… that hibernation is a one-way ticket. Time only moves forward, and the past will never come back.”

“Do you regret it?” Lin Xian asked.

“Of course not!”

Gao Yang thumped his chest.

“What you all are doing is so incredible. If I hadn’t chosen to follow you back then, that’s what I’d regret!”

“So, you wait here, Lin Xian. I’ll make sure to bring Galileo back for you! Come on, there’s just a little wine left—let’s share it!”

“More drinking?” Lin Xian said helplessly.

“Of course! We’re here, under the statues of your wife and daughter. How can we not drink a bit more?”

Gao Yang was clearly in high spirits.

Pouring a full glass of wine, he raised it high toward Zhao Ying Jun’s statue.

“This one’s for the President!”

He drained it in one go.

Then, filling another glass, he raised it high.

“This one’s for my Little Niece!”

Another downed glass.

Finally, pouring one last drink, he lifted the glass toward the starry sky above.

His eyes reddened as he gazed at the heavens, where a meteor seemed to fall from 20,000 meters up.

“This one… is for the Little Princess!”

One more tilt of the glass.

The bottle was empty, but Gao Yang stood frozen, staring into the higher reaches of the starry sky, the black backdrop of space. For a moment, he seemed unsure who the next drink should be for.

Finally, he lowered his head and extended the glass toward Lin Xian, sitting on the flowerbed.

“The last one… is for my brother.”

…

Five days later, United States, Space-X Rocket Launch Facility.

Twenty-two spacetime particle detection rockets stood vertically, awaiting their turn for launch.

“Each rocket carries a real-time feedback detector made from entangled spacetime particles inside its payload fairing,” the aging but vigorous Elon Musk explained from the observation deck to Lin Xian.

“These twenty-two detectors will be launched from here and sent into deep space in twenty-two different directions, away from Earth.”

“This is a gamble. If we’re lucky, we might detect the World-Ending White Light in advance, pinpointing its direction and nature. If not… we’ve only wasted twenty-two rockets. It’s no more significant than wasting twenty-two toothpicks.”

After finishing, Elon handed the remote launch controller to Lin Xian.

“Everything is automated now. Go ahead, let this historic moment be initiated by you.”

Lin Xian accepted the controller.

It was simple—perhaps overly so.

The device had only a single red button, impossible to mistake.

At this point in time, manual buttons were no longer necessary. Their inclusion was purely ceremonial—a relic of a bygone era. Only here, at Space-X, and under Elon Musk’s influence, could such traditions persist. Elsewhere, they were rare.

Gazing at the large red button, Lin Xian spoke softly, “What are you thinking right now? Do you hope to observe the World-Ending White Light in space? Or… do you hope it won’t appear?”

Elon Musk seemed to anticipate this question, answering without hesitation:

“I hope it won’t appear. Not at all. I’d rather these twenty-two rockets be wasted.”

Lin Xian turned to face him. “Because you’re afraid?”

Elon pressed his lips tightly. “Yes.”

“If we fail to detect the World-Ending White Light in space, it could mean its origin lies within Earth itself. Or perhaps… it doesn’t exist at all, confined only to your dream.”

“In that case, things become simpler—remaining within our grasp to control, manipulate, and change.”

“But in the worst-case scenario, if the World-Ending White Light is truly an act of extraterrestrial beings, a higher cosmic civilization far superior to us, wielding alien technology… what then? What can we do?”

“If they are powerful enough to deploy weapons traveling at the speed of light, destroying us wouldn’t even warrant a warning. It would be like stepping on ants. Do ants have any chance to resist?”

Lin Xian stayed silent.

What Elon Musk said was irrefutable.

If the World-Ending White Light stemmed from an issue within Earth, there might be hope for a solution. But on a cosmic scale, humanity stood powerless.

“However, not all is bleak.”

Lin Xian lifted his gaze toward the distant galaxy.

“Humanity has to take this step eventually. Like the stars… whether we look up or not, they’re always there, shining. They seem unrelated to us, yet they illuminate our night sky.”

With that, Lin Xian pressed the launch button decisively.

Boom—

Boom—

Boom—

The rocket launch sequence initiated automatically. One after another, the rockets ascended into the skies, leaving Earth’s atmosphere and hurtling toward the vast depths of space.

The next day, a grand Antarctic expedition team set out from Donghai City in X Country. Dozens of aircraft, both large and small, carried hundreds of team members and ample supplies toward the southernmost point of Earth.

With advancements in technology, Antarctic travel no longer required ships; large transoceanic planes were more than sufficient to meet all needs.

Lin Xian, Liu Feng, Gao Wen, and Aluminum Alloy VV stood atop a high platform at the airport, watching as the planes departed.

“Our survey planes have already conducted preliminary investigations in Antarctica,” Gao Wen reported. “Using geological scanning, we’ve further narrowed down the suspicious areas. Whether or not Galileo is truly hiding in Antarctica should become clear by tomorrow.”

Lin Xian nodded. “We’ll wait here for their triumphant return.”

This expedition was led by Elon Musk, with Gao Yang, Du Yao, and Cheng Qian accompanying him. Of course, VV was also part of the operation—it existed everywhere.

Suddenly, Lin Xian spoke. “Prepare a plane for me as well.”

Both Liu Feng and Gao Wen were taken aback.

“Where are you going at a time like this?” Liu Feng asked.

“Why the sudden trip?” Gao Wen added.

“Relax, I’ll be going with VV,” Lin Xian replied, patting the Aluminum Alloy Trash Bin beside him. “The two of us are going to lie in wait for a while.”

…

This was something Lin Xian and VV had planned from the very beginning.

They decided to return to Brooklyn, to the secret base beneath the Einstein Farm, and reactivate the Genius Club Meeting System.

The strategy was simple: lay in wait.

By restarting the meeting system, they intended to lure Galileo into appearing. Lin Xian wasn’t entirely sure Galileo would come, but he was confident that, like Newton, Galileo would be unable to resist investigating if he saw the meeting system reactivated. Once the NFC Gold Badge was scanned, Galileo would be virtually transported into the meeting room to inspect what was happening—curiosity being a trait common to every Genius Club member.

Lin Xian knew that if he were in Galileo’s shoes, he wouldn’t be able to resist either.

Although the collective genius consensus suggested Galileo was most likely hiding in Antarctica, there was no guarantee they would find him there, nor could they rule out the possibility that Antarctica itself was a decoy.

It didn’t matter.

The Antarctic operation, combined with the reactivation of the Genius Club Meeting System, was designed as a dual-pronged bait for Galileo.

If Galileo was alarmed by the Antarctic investigation and simultaneously lured into attending the Genius Club meeting, VV would be ready to trace his presence and capture him.

When Lin Xian and VV arrived at Einstein’s underground shelter, Elon Musk’s Antarctic team had just reached the designated area.

This area was riddled with secret facilities constructed by Germany during World War II. Over time, they had fallen into obscurity, buried beneath Antarctic permafrost and long forgotten by history.

“We’ll start there,” Elon Musk, dressed in heavy winter gear, said, pointing to a specific location.

“Bring the machinery over. Start digging at this spot.”

Meanwhile, in Brooklyn, beneath the Einstein Farm, Aluminum Alloy VV activated the Genius Club Meeting System.

“All set,” VV said, forming an “O” with its clamp-like hand.

Whoosh—

The holographic projection system came to life, bathing the underground shelter in dazzling, multicolored lights that transformed it into a resplendent golden hall.

Nine virtual black wooden high-back chairs materialized out of thin air. Ahead, the brown double doors gleamed as if newly polished, awaiting the remaining members to push them open.

“As soon as Galileo scans the NFC Gold Badge, his virtual avatar will appear in this room, and I’ll immediately lock onto his location,” VV said, visibly brimming with anticipation. “Let’s see how far the Antarctic team progresses. If they capture Galileo directly, that’ll save us the trouble.”

Lin Xian activated the communication system. “Elon, what’s the status on your end?”

Through the radio, the howling Antarctic wind was audible as Elon Musk shouted, “We’re excavating the fourth suspicious site. The chances look good this time—we’ve detected faint electrical signals! That means there’s definitely something beneath us!”

“Wait a moment… the instruments are picking up something—biological signals! There’s a biological presence! Weak, but it seems… it seems like a hibernation chamber is activating its wake-up sequence!”

“Dig faster!” Gao Yang’s voice roared through the radio.

“That bastard Galileo is right beneath us! We’ve got to dig him out before he wakes up! Damn it, why don’t we just blast the site with missiles and end this now? No need for drawn-out trouble!”

“Hold on—what is this?” Elon Musk’s incredulous voice came through.

“Something’s wrong!”

Simultaneously, VV’s voice echoed both from the radio and the Aluminum Alloy Trash Bin beside Lin Xian:

“I see it now! This is a Spacetime Particle Collision Pipeline! Galileo’s objective is—”

“Spacetime Particle Collision!”

Whoosh!

Whoosh!

Whoosh!

It was too late.

The moment VV finished speaking, ghostly blue snowflakes radiated outward from Antarctica, engulfing the entire Earth and even reaching the orbit of Mars.

The underground shelter where Lin Xian was located was no exception.

His eyes widened as he stared at the blue snowflakes filling the space around him.

A spacetime bomb.

It was identical to what happened when Yu Xi had detonated herself, creating blue snowflakes that blanketed Donghai City.

The next second.

A thunderous rumble shook the ground. The entire world trembled violently, and the noisy chatter from the radio abruptly turned to silence.

“Elon!” Lin Xian shouted into the radio. “What’s going on over there?”

But… no response.

Something was wrong. By all accounts, a spacetime bomb shouldn’t physically affect this timeline.

So what was causing the earthquakes? And why had Elon gone silent?

“VV!” Lin Xian steadied himself against the tremors and called out to the Aluminum Alloy Trash Bin.

To his surprise…

The always chatty and hyperactive VV was silent as well!

The Aluminum Alloy Trash Bin stood motionless, its head lowered, the green light in its eyes extinguished.

“VV!” Lin Xian called again.

No way…

Suddenly, a realization dawned on him.

Why had VV never appeared in the Ninth Dreamscape? Now, the reason was clear.

Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!

Another wave of violent tremors struck.

The underground shelter’s automated defense system activated, and alarms blared:

“Detected tsunami intrusion. Closing all ventilation systems. Activating self-sustaining mode.”

“VV!” Lin Xian rushed to the trash bin, knocking on its head. “What’s wrong with you?”

Suddenly.

His eyes widened in shock.

Drops of blood were steadily dripping from the top of VV’s head, and the dripping was accelerating.

Whose blood was this?

Could it be… his own?

Lin Xian wiped his nose and found his face smeared with grime. Blood was pouring from his nose and ears, and even his vision was tinged red.

This couldn’t be happening.

How could a spacetime bomb harm him? It hadn’t done so before!

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The ceiling of the underground shelter began to distort, and pieces of decorative panels broke free, crashing onto the floor.

Lin Xian’s head swam, blood pouring from his orifices as he struggled to stay upright.

No. He had to act fast.

Though he didn’t understand what was happening, he knew that if it continued, he wouldn’t survive.

He turned and saw the only hope in the corner—

A hibernation chamber.

Not only could it slow down bodily functions, but it also had limited medical capabilities.

There was no time to hesitate.

Pushing through his weakening state, Lin Xian stumbled toward the chamber and climbed inside, pressing the one-touch hibernation button.

Whir…

The glass lid of the hibernation chamber slid shut.

As it sealed, cold hibernation chamber filling liquid began to flow in.

Lin Xian could see streaks of red blood mixing into the clear liquid before his vision dimmed. In moments, he fell into a deep, unconscious sleep.

Meanwhile.

The outside world had turned into hell on Earth.

Earthquakes tore the ground apart. Tsunamis surged into the skies. Volcanoes dormant for tens of thousands of years erupted, and tectonic plates crushed together to form new mountain ranges.

The year 2504 would forever be marked as the era of a global super catastrophe.

Crash! Crash!

Countless stones fell from the ceiling, clanging against the silent Aluminum Alloy VV.

The shelter warped under the geological pressure, teetering on the brink of collapse.

Powered by a micro nuclear battery, the hibernation chamber continued to operate steadily. Inside, Lin Xian lay motionless, his life signs faint but stable, a stark contrast to the chaos outside.

Boom!!!

An unprecedentedly massive impact struck.

A large piece of Aluminum Alloy fell from the ceiling and crashed heavily onto the hibernation chamber’s glass lid.

Crack, crack.

The thick glass began to fracture, spiderweb cracks spreading slowly.

Fortunately, the glass held, and the hibernation chamber remained intact.

However, unnoticed, a tiny crack extended inward. Slowly, ever so slowly, the hibernation chamber filling liquid began to seep out.

Drip.

It took four hours for a single drop to hit the floor.

Drip.

Four more hours passed. Another drop fell.

Drip.

…

Drip.

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

“Cough, cough! Cough, cough, cough!”

Time passed—how long, no one could say.

A man, lying inside the hibernation chamber, was jolted awake as he choked on air.

This wasn’t supposed to happen.

The hibernation chamber was designed for breathing through its hibernation chamber filling liquid, which filled the lungs and supplied dissolved oxygen for respiratory exchange. But something unexpected had occurred.

Due to a minuscule crack in the chamber’s sealed glass, the filling liquid had been slowly leaking for years. The system compensated, replenishing the liquid continuously. However, this cycle of leakage and refilling reached its breaking point. Eventually, the liquid levels dropped so low that the man’s nose and mouth were exposed, causing him to choke awake.

He was, in a way, fortunate.

If he had suddenly awoken in the liquid’s ultra-low temperatures, his body would have succumbed instantly. But because the leak was gradual, the temperature rose just as slowly, giving his body time to recover its functions.

By the last few years, he had essentially transitioned from hibernation to natural sleep, aging normally as he slumbered for several years.

Like a character from a fairy tale awakened from a long slumber, though his appearance now resembled that of a wild man more than a prince.

“Cough, cough, cough, cough, cough!”

Another bout of violent coughing wracked his body. He fumbled clumsily, and the hibernation chamber lid finally lifted. Sitting up, he wiped his face with his hand.

“Hiss—ow!” he exclaimed. His face hurt. His nails hurt. Even his beard hurt.

When he focused on his hand, he saw his fingernails were grotesquely overgrown, curling into spirals like something out of a horror movie.

He ran his fingers through his hair, finding it long, tangled, and wild—like an untamed savage.

His beard was even worse: a massive, unruly explosion of hair that felt thick and soft, like a cushion, cascading down to his chest.

“Who… am I?”

The man looked around at the ruined state of the underground shelter. Nothing jogged his memory.

Taking a few cautious steps forward, he noticed a shiny metallic trash bin. It reflected light well enough to serve as a makeshift mirror.

In its aluminum alloy surface, he saw his reflection: a middle-aged man with disheveled black hair and a monstrous beard that covered most of his face, leaving only his stunned eyes visible.

No recognition.

He had no memory of who he was, his age, or why he was here.

Pulling back the overgrown hair, he managed to part it enough to expose his eyes. That’s when he noticed something strange.

Etched on the “neck” of the shiny trash bin were two letters:

“V… V…?”

The man tilted his head, puzzled.

Why would a trash bin have these two letters engraved on it?

Must be a brand name, he thought. Just the manufacturer’s logo.

“Hiss!” A sharp pain shot through his toe as one of his toenails cracked, making him grit his teeth.

It was clear he needed to deal with his nails first.

Returning to the hibernation chamber, he found a sharp piece of debris that had fallen nearby. Carefully, he used the jagged edge to trim his nails. The result was crude and uneven, but at least it allowed him to move more freely.

He then surveyed his surroundings and realized the place resembled a cage. There was only one visible exit—a simple elevator leading upward.

“Is that the way out?”

There was no other option—he had to try.

The man stepped onto the simple elevator and pressed the ascend button.

Thankfully, it still worked.

With a creaky, metallic groan, the polished elevator began its ascent. Near the top, it encountered resistance—a thick layer of soil or fallen leaves had blocked the exit. However, the elevator’s power was sufficient to push through, breaking open the barrier.

Suddenly, dazzling light flooded the space.

Outside was an unexpectedly lush forest, vibrant and pristine, a stark contrast to the dim, technology-filled underground shelter.

The man stroked his overgrown beard, looking around with uncertainty, unsure which direction to take.

“Ahh!”

Out of nowhere, a sharp scream pierced the air.

Startled, the man turned to see a young girl standing behind him, her expression tense and wary.

The girl appeared to be around eleven or twelve years old. Her clothes were ragged, her dark brown hair tied at the back, and a distinctive teardrop-shaped mole rested near her left eye. In her hand, she clutched a dagger, glaring at him.

“You! Where did you just pop out from?” she demanded.

“I…”

The man was equally flustered, completely unsure of what to say.

“I don’t know,” he finally admitted, helplessly. “Where is this place?”

“Brooklyn,” the girl answered.

It took her a moment to realize that in her haste, she had spoken in Mandarin. What was even more surprising was that the disheveled man, with his massive beard and long hair, had understood her perfectly and responded in kind.

“Wait! Are you from X Country?” she asked, suspiciously.

“I don’t know,” the man said honestly.

The girl frowned. “Then what’s your name?”

“I don’t know that either,” the man replied, pointing to his head and tapping through his thick, tangled hair. “I can’t remember anything. It’s like I’ve lost my memory—I don’t recall anything at all.”

The girl eyed him carefully, noting his lack of hostility or aggression. Reluctantly, she lowered her dagger and stood upright.

“Well, if you speak Mandarin so well, you must be from X Country. Most people here speak English. I only speak Mandarin when I’m with my parents.”

“Oh,” the man muttered, still seeming dazed, as though his mind hadn’t fully caught up. He looked at the girl.

“Then… what’s your name? How should I address you?”

“CC,” the girl replied coolly. “Just call me CC.”

“CC?” The man chuckled. “Is that even a real name?”

“Mind your own business!” she snapped. “Of course, it’s not my real name. It’s just easier to use. Besides, you don’t even have a name yourself!”

“Hmm…” The man stroked his beard thoughtfully, acknowledging her point. “But if something as simple as CC can count as a name, then I can come up with one just as easily.”

Suddenly, he recalled the letters he had seen engraved on the shiny trash bin in the underground shelter.

Raising his head, he smiled faintly.

“Well, since you’re called CC, then my name…”

“…will be VV.”

This novel is translated and hosted on bcatranslation